Nailing feed machine mechanism



Aug. 4, 1964 c. A. DAVIS 3,

NAILING FEED MACHINE MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 4, 1964 c. A. DAVIS 3,142,841

NAILING FEED MACHINE MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Mmw @LQQ/jy United States Patent 3,142,841 NAILING FEED MACHINE MECHANISM Charles A. Davis, Saugus, Mass, assignor to W. J. Young Machinery (10., Inc, Lynn, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application Feb. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 794,533, now Patent No. 3,ii71,291, dated Jan. 1, 1963. Divided and this application Nov. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 152,094

Claims. Cl. 1-6) The present invention relates to a feed mechanism, particularly adapted for use as part of a nailing machine of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 794,593, filed February 20, 1959, now Patent No. 3,071,291, of January 1, 1963, of which this application is a division.

In automatic nailing machines, and in particular in nailing machines designed for use in the shoe industry, it is desirable to provide a feed mechanism for feeding several nails simultaneously to the nailing mechanism.

In the shoe industry, such a device has particular utility for nailing heels to shoes where four or more nails are customarily driven into the heel at the same time.

One of the principal problems encountered in nailing machines of this type is the problem of supplying nails to the nailing mechanism in selected numbers, orientation, and at uniform time intervals in regular uninterrupted cycles.

Heretofore mechanism designed to supply nails in groups oriented in a selected manner have not operated in an altogether satisfactory manner. In many of the machines heretofore in use the feed mechanism jams, the nails fail to pass through the mechanism in uniform numbers or the feed mechanism malfunctions in some other fashion.

Certain machines have been designed which apparently do function in a relatively smooth fashion. These machines however are extremely expensive in nature and consequently are beyond the purchasing power of many marginally operating factories in need of many such machines.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a nailing machine feed mechanism adapted to be incorporated into the nailing machine which is certain of operation over prolonged periods of time and which is relatively inexpensive with respect to original cost and maintenance.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a feed mechanism for nailing machines adapted to operate with a high degree of efficiency and in a relatively rapid rate, limited only by the rate of speed at which the nailing process of the nailing machine is effected.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a feed mechanism having a hopper to receive nails in random arrangement with means associated with the hopper to limit the amount of nails being fed to the mouth of the hopper.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism incorporating moveable gates at the mouth of the hopper adapted to be actuated to free jammed nails in this area.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pawl and rack arrangement of improved design adapted to separate a leading nail in each of several columns of nails from the columns themselves for further movement to the nailing mechanism.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the feed mechanism of the present invention shown mounted on the nailing ma- 3,142,841 Patented Aug. 4., 1964 chine with the nailing machine shown in fragmentary form;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional detail of the gate mechanism; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan detail of the pawl and rack mechanism.

The feed mechanism is adapted to be mounted on a machine 1 designed for simultaneous nailing of a plurality of nails. In particular the feed mechanism is adapted to be used in conjunction with the heel nailing machine. The mechanism is supported on a frame 2, suitably secured in any fashion to the machine 1. This frame preferably provides a horizontal flat surface. At the rear edge 21 of the frame, there is secured by bolts or other suitable means, a support 3. This support 3 is formed with parallel opposed vertically extending legs 7 having enlarged upper ends with each end having fixed therein aligned journals 4. Axially supported within these journals at its ends is a shaft 5 having intermediate the journals an enlarged center portion 9 with a series of parallel slots 21, spaced apart and coincident with chutes 11 more completely described hereinafter. The slots have a depth suflicient to accommodate the length of the nails 22 which are being fed through the feed mechanism and which pass through these slots 21. The shaft 5 is adapted to be reciprocally rotated about the axis of the shaft 5. Rigidly secured to shaft 5 and adapted to be reciprocally rotated with it, is the hopper 6, having side walls 30 and 31, rear walls 32, bottom 33 and forward wall 34, continuous with one another to form a rectangular open top container. The bottom 33 of the hopper is of substantial thickness, as for example /2". The forward end of this bottom 33 is arcuately curved to conform to the shaft and is secured to it by screws diametrically passing through the shaft. Mounted within the hopper 6 is a baffle 35 formed of a rectangular plate. This baflle 35 is mounted at its upper edge on a rotatable shaft 36 pivotally journaled at its ends in journals 37 and 38, in turn respectively secured to the side walls 30 and 31. The baflie extends downwardly toward the bottom 33 and terminates above this bottom 33, when normal to it, a distance somewhat less than the diameter of the nail heads being used. A stop 39 projects inwardly from the inner surface of side wall 31 forward of baflie 35 and is adapted to engage the baffle 35 when the hopper 6 is in the tilted position illustrated. When the hopper 6 is in such tilted position, the batlie 35 is inclined at its lower edge towards the forward wall 34 and the distance between the lower edge of the battle 35 and the bottom 33 is slightly greater than the diameter of the nail heads used. Thus as the hopper 6 is moved from a horizontal to an inclined position as illustrated in the drawing, the baflie 35 will pivot forwardly on the shaft 36 to permit passage of a certain quantity of nails from the rear portion of the hopper indicated at 40 to the forward portion of the hopper indicated at 41, with these nails passing underneath the baflle 35. When the hopper 6 is pivoted from the position illustrated to a horizontal position in a manner hereinafter described, the bafiie 35 will pivot to a normal position with the bottom 33, thereby closing the gap between its lower edge and the bottom 33 to prevent the return of nails from the section 41 to the section 40. Thus if a quantity of nails are placed in section 40, a certain limited number will pass from section 40 into section 41 upon each reciprocal movement of the hopper 6.

The hopper 6 is reciprocally moved from the horizontal position to the position illustrated and then back to a horizontal position by conventional means. Thus if desired, an actuating aim 42' pivotally engaging the lower surface of the bottom 3 and reciprocally moved from a drive source (not shown), operating off a cam arrangement may be used to effect this reciprocal movement of the hopper 6.

Forward section 41 is formed with a series of slots through the thickened bottom 33 with these slots parallel to one another and extending from the forward wall 34 rearwardly.

In the embodiment illustrated, seven such slots are provided, each aligned with one of the slots 21 in the sleeve 9. One of these slots is illustrated at 42 in dotted outline. These slots 42 have a width sufiicient to receive the shank of nails contained within section 41, but not their heads. Thus these nails will be agitated by the rocking motion of the hopper 6 until they fall into the slots 42. As indicated'the bottom 33 is sufiiciently thick to act as a channel and prevent jamming. These nails are moved forwardly by the rocking motion of the hopper towards the lower edge of the forward wall 34. They pass through slots illustrated at 43 in the forward wall 44 and drop into the slots 21 in the portion 9. The height of the slots 43 are controlled by an adjustable plate 44 which extends across the forward wall 34 in facing relation to it and is secured to this forward wall by screws 45 passing through elongated slots in the plate 44 into the folward wall.

It has been found that unless suitable means are provided, the nails in the slots 42 will be jammed in the slots or openings 43 by free nails within the forward section 41. For this reason a gate mechanism generally illustrated at 47 is provided. In this arrangement a pair of journals 43 are fixed in alignment at opposite side edges of the forward portion of the wall 34. These journals rotatably support a shaft 49 on which is fixed a series of lever arms 50. These lever arms may be secured to the shaft 49 by set screws 51. These lever arms 50 project rearwardly and engage gates 52 at slots formed therein.

In the embodiment illustrated, seven sets of lever arms 59 and gates 52 are illustrated with one set for each slot 21.

It will be noted that five of the gates have slots and are engaged by the lever arms, and two are not. The two which are not engaged by the lever arms, are in this ex ample, inverted and are not in use. Thus the lever arms indicated at 55 are adjusted to close the gates to which they would otherwise be engaged so as to prevent passage of nails through the openings 43 with which these particular gates are associated. This arrangement is particularly useful where variation in the particular number of nails being supplied in each group is desired.

The gates 52 may be guided in parallel milled slots in the rear of the forward wall 34 with the gates retained in the slots by a backing plate 57 adapted to permit reciprocal movement of the gates on rotation of the shaft 49. Each gate is adapted on rotation of the shaft 49, to be longitudinally displaced through the engagement of the lever arms 50, thereby opening or closing the slots 43. The gates 52 are normally maintained in a closed position with the lower edge of each gate positioned just above the bottom 33, leaving sufiicient passage for a single nail head.

The gates 52 are normally maintained in this position by spring means generally illustrated at 59. In this arrangement, a helical spring 60 is rigidly secured at its lower end to a pin 61, projecting forwardly from the forward wall 34. The upper end of the spring is secured to a second pin 62. This second pin 62 projects forwardly from the gate 52 through an elongated slot in the forward wall. Each gate is provided with a similar spring arrangement. The end of the shaft 49 has fixed to it a lever arm 64, positioned parallel to and on the outside of side wall 30. This lever arm 64 is adapted to be engaged by the fixed actuator arm 69. Thus as the hopper is reciprocated towards the horizontal position, arm 64 engages arm 69, thus rotating shaft 49, in turn rotating lever arms 50 which lift gates 52. When gates 52 are raised, the space between their lower edge and the bottom 33 is increased thus releasing any nails which may have jammed in the slots 43. Actually, the hopper 6 and arm 42 are so arranged as to reciprocate to a point at which the rear wall is slightly lower than the forward wall, thus assuring that nails which are jammed and then released from slots 43, will fall rearwardly and clear of the slots. Upon the return motion of hopper 6, to the inclined position illustrated the gates 52 close under the tension of the springs 60, thus eifectively barring, in most instances, the engagement of nails which are free within the forward section 41 in the slot 43.

This reciprocating hopper 6 and gate mechanism 47, provides a constant flow of nails 22, into the slots 21. These nails slide from the slots 21 into chutes 11 in the raceway generally indicated at 10. Each of the chutes 11 is identical in arrangement with each chute aligned with a slot 21. The chutes are spaced one from another by spacers (not shown), which may comprise sleeves mounted on shafts secured at their ends at opposite sides of the outermost chutes by bolts or the like as illustrated at 70. Each chute is formed with a U-shaped cross section providing side walls 71, 72, spaced apart a distance coincident with the width of slots 21. The channels 73 formed by these side walls are adapted to receive the nails 22 as they slide downwardly from the slots 21.

The rear edges of the chutes 11 are arcuately curved to coincide and bear against the shaft portion 9 so as to present a smooth bearing surface to the shaft portion.

Intermediate the ends of the chutes 11 and toward the lower end of the chutes, there is provided means for simultaneously isolating the lowermost nail in each column of nails in the channels 73. This means comprises a series of pawls 75, with one for each chute 11. The pawls are pivotally mounted on a rack 76 which extends above and normal to the length of the chutes 11. This rack 76 is mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement within the bearing blocks 77 and retainer plates 78. The rack 76 is actuated by the actuating arm 79, projecting upwardly through the frame 2 and interconnected to the rack 76 by means of a rod 8i), fixed at one end to the arm 79 and pivotally engaged in the other to the rack 76. The arm 79 may be positively actuated in one direction by a mechanism associated with the machine 1 and timed to coincide with the desired operation of this machine. The return mechanism for the arm 79 may comprise the helical spring 81 fixed at its ends between the supporting frame 83 on which the blocks 77 are mounted and the arm 79. Each pawl 75 is pivotally mounted to the rack 76 by means of a pin 88, rigidly secured to the rack. Each pawl 75 is formed of a fiat member having a downwardly projecting boss 89 forward of rack 76 and an enlarged downwardly projecting head 90, rearward of the rack 76. Projecting upwardly from the upper surface of each pawl 75 is a pin 91. In addition the pin 88 projects upwardly of the pawls 75. Pins 92 project upwardly from the upper surface of rack 76 adjacent the pawls 75. Wire springs 93 are looped about the pins 88 and are provided with two legs, respectively engaging the opposite sides of pins 91 and 92. These springs tension the heads into a rotating movement about the pins 88 and towards the pins 92. This orientation is limited by engagement of the bosses 89 with the forward edge 96 of the rack 76. Each pawl 75 is positioned immediately adjacent a recess 98 in the rear edge 99 of the rack 76. The rack 76 and recesses 98 are related and positioned so that the recess 98 is positioned immediately to the right of each channel 73, when the rack is not actuated by arm 79, as viewed in FIG. 1. In this non-actuated position, the lower surface of the rack 76 is in surface contact with the upper surface of the chutes 11. Thus in this position, the leading nail head as illustrated in FIG. 3 at 100, is engaged by the rear edge 99 of the rack preventing this nail from moving further downwardly on the chute. The lower end of each chute 11 is stepped downwardly at a point just under the rack 76. Thus as the rack 76 is moved to the left by the actuating arm 79, each forward nail 100 will come into alignment with a recess 98 and move forward in the recess 98 until it drops into this stepped portion of thechute which is clear of the rack. The nail will move forwardly past the rack 76, sliding downwardly along the inclined chute 11 towards the forward edge of the chute. The secondmost nail in each chute 11, illustrated at 102, is however retained in position above the rack 76 by engagement with the pawl 75. As the rack moves to the left and carries with it the pawl 75, the surface 104 of the enlarged head 90, engages the head of the nail 102, the pawl rotates in a clockwise direction against the tension of the spring 93, thus holding the nail 102 in position in the channel 73 under spring tension. As the rack 76 returns to its initial position under the tension of the spring 81, the pawl 75 will be returned towards its initial position, thus moving away from the nail 102 and thereby releasing it to slide into contact with the rear edge 99 of the rack 76.

A similar operation occurs in each channel. It will be noted however that each channel is individually operatively controlled and thus if jamming or difiiculty occurs in one channel, it will not affect operation of the other channel.

At the lower end of the raceway 10, there is provided a transport 110. This transport comprises an elongated member having a series of slots with counter sunk heads in its rear edge, each aligned with and conforming to a channel 73, as is illustrated at 111. This transport 110 is fixed to a shaft 112, in turn journaled in end plates 113. The end plates 113 may conveniently be secured to the outer portions of the raceway by suitable means such as screws 114 or by other like means. The shaft 112 is adapted to be rotated by an actuating means 115, which in turn may be actuated by operation of the machine 1, and in timed synchronism with it. The shaft 112 is adapted to rotate the transport 110 so that the slots 111 are pivoted from a position in longitudinal and continuous alignment with the channels 73 into a position substantially normal to the channels 73. In this second position, the slots 111 are downwardly inclined with the upper ends as viewed in FIG. 1 directly above a series of receptacles 116. When the transport is thus pivotally actuated, nails contained within the slots 111 will fall freely from the transport into the receptacles 116. These receptacles 116 may comprise a rigid tubular upper end 117 continuous with flexible tubes 118 with the upper ends 117 mounted in a suitable frame 119, in turn secured to the frame 2. The flexible tubes 118 may be connected in any suitable and known manner to the nailing machine which does not form a portion of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a nailing machine feed mechanism, means forming a plurality of parallel inclined chutes, each adapted to contain a row of aligned nails having heads positioned on the upper surface of said chute, means extending across said chutes and positioned to engage the head of the lowermost nail in each row, means for actuating said last mentioned means for simultaneous release of said lowermost nails from said chutes, and a plurality of means for independently retaining the second lowermost nail in each chute while said lowermost nails are released.

2. In a nailing machine feed mechanism, means forming a plurality of parallel inclined chutes, each adapted to contain a row of aligned nails having heads positioned on the upper surface of said chute, a flat bar forming an elongated rack positioned above and extending across each chute and positioned to engage the head of the lowermost nail in each row, means mounting said rack for reciprocal longitudinal movement, release means including spaced recesses in said rack for release of said lowermost nail from said chute when a recess is aligned with each chute, and a plurality of individual means for independently retaining the second lowermost nail in each chute while said lowermost nail is released.

3. In a nailing machine feed mechanism, means forming a plurality of parallel inclined chutes, each adapted to contain a row of aligned nails having heads positioned on the upper surface of said chute, flat bar forming an elongated rack positioned above and extending across each chute and positioned to engage the head of the lowermost nail in each row, means mounting said rack for reciprocal longitudinal movement, release means for releasing said lowermost nail on lateral movement of said rack from said chute, and means for retaining the second lowermost nail in each chute while said lowermost nail is released, comprising a pawl for each chute, means pivotally mounting said pawls on said rack, spring means for individually tensioning each pawl for rotation about said mounting in one direction, stop means for limiting the rotation of said pawl, said pawls adapted to engage said second lowermost nail on movement of said rack in one direction.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said release means comprise laterally aligned stepped sections in each chute with said rack substantially in facing relation with the uppermost portion of said stepped sections and spaced from the lowermost portion of said stepped sections, and recesses in said rack adapted to be aligned one with each chute on lateral movement thereof.

5. In a nailing machine feed mechanism, means forming a plurality of parallel inclined chutes, each adapted to contain a row of aligned nails having heads positioned on the upper surface of said chute, an elongated rack above and extending across said chute and positioned to engage the head of the lowermost nail in each row, release means including spaced recesses in said rack for release of said lowermost nail from said chute when a recess is aligned on longitudinal movement of said rack with each chute, means for moving said rack only longitudinally with respect to its length and a plurality of individual means for independently retaining the second lowermost nail in each chute while said lowermost nail is released.

6. A nailing machine feed mechanism, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the elongated rack comprises a flat bar positioned above and extending across each chute and mounted for reciprocal longitudinal movement.

7. A nailing machine feed mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein the release means comprise laterally aligned stepped sections in each chute with said rack substantially in facing relation with the uppermost portion of said stepped sections and spaced from the lowermost portion of said stepped sections, and recesses in said rack adapted to be aligned one with each chute on lateral movement thereof.

8. In a nailing machine feed mechanism, means forming a plurality of parallel inclined chutes, each adapted to contain a row of aligned nails having heads positioned on the upper surface of said chute, an elongated rack above and extending across each chute and positioned to engage the head of the lowermost nail in each row, release means for release of said lowermost nail from said chute when said means is aligned with each chute, and a plurality of independent means for individually retaining the second lowermost nail in each chute while said lowermost nail is released.

9. In a nailing machine feed mechanism, means forming a plurality of parallel inclined chutes, each adapted to contain a row of aligned nails having heads positioned on the upper surface of said chute, an elongated rack above and extending across said chute and positioned to engage the head of the lowermost nail in each row, release means including spaced recesses in said rack for release of said lowermost nail from said chute when a recess is aligned on longitudinal movement of said rack with each chute, means for moving said rack only longitudinally with respect to its length and means for retaining the second lowermost nail in each chute while said lowermost nail is released comprising a pawl for each chute, means pivotally mounting said pawls on said rack, spring means for individually tensioning each pawl for rotation about said mounting in one direction, and stop means for limiting the rotation of said pawl, said pawls being adapted to engage said second lowermost nail on movement of said rack in one direction.

10. In a nail machine feed mechanism as set forth in claim 1, means operatively interengaging said plurality of means for independently retaining the second lowermost nail in each chute with said means extending across said chutes whereby said means extending across said chutes References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sullivan Sept. 9, 1882 Perley Nov. 2, 1909 

1. IN A NAILING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM, MEANS FORMING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL INCLINED CHUTES, EACH ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A ROW OF ALIGNED NAILS HAVING HEADS POSITIONED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID CHUTE, MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID CHUTES AND POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE HEAD OF THE LOWERMOST NAIL IN EACH ROW, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUS RELEASE OF SAID LOWERMOST NAILS FROM SAID CHUTES, AND A PLURALITY OF MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY RETAINING THE SECOND LOWERMOST NAIL IN EACH CHUTE WHILE SAID LOWERMOST NAILS ARE RELEASED. 